Former Vice President Joe Biden will escort Sen.-elect Doug Jones (D-AL) to his swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday morning, according to CNN and local reports from Alabama.
While the state colleague typically accompanies a new senator to the swearing-in ceremony, Jones did not ask Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) to attend, AL.com and WAAY TV reported Tuesday evening. A Jones spokesperson did not immediately return TPM’s request for confirmation.
The former Democratic Vice President is a family friend of Jones’ and campaigned for him during his Senate bid in October. Following a contentious special election to fill Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ seat in the Senate, Jones was officially certified as Alabama’s next senator last Thursday, despite an 11th-hour attempt by his opponent — former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore — to block the certification of the election.
Jones’ ceremony is scheduled for noon on Wednesday and he plans to do his swearing-in on a personal family Bible, according to AL.com.
